The Séance of Blake Manor
The Séance of Blake Manor
Game
Game2025
The Alters
Developer 11 bit studios
The Alters is a 2025 survival game developed and published by 11 Bit Studios. In the game, the player assumes control of Jan Dolski, a space miner who must create alternative versions of himself in order to survive on an inhospitable planet. It was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 13 June 2025, to generally positive reviews from critics. The game won Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year at… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
514 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
78
LovedLoved
277 positive · 76 negative
95% range 74–82%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 277 | 76 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 51 | 6 | 69 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 30 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
6,752 of 7,603 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
77% recommend · 226 yes, 69 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 295 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (18,061 of 20,020 positive).
Players praise the game's unique concept and emotional story. [1][2][3] Some find the gameplay repetitive and the resource grind tedious. [4][5] A few players criticize the use of generative AI in the game. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
I liked this one innitialy, but ultimatly its just simplistic and tedious. Like other games from these devs, it focuses heavily on presentation and narrative gimmick at the expense of gameplay. And the presentation is great, but the gameplay is so shallow that its just really boring. Go do chores in monumentally generic and empty outside areas that amount to like 2 small corridors to gather generic resources. …
- [2]
Easily the best written game I have ever played. Hands down. I love Silksong, Clair Obscur, and Hades II, but this is 100% my game of the year. If you like amazing sci-fi stories with interesting characters and loads of difficult choices, there is no better game/movie/anything than The Alters. The gameplay isn't perfect, sometimes running around and collecting certain resources can be tedious and the combat is not …
- [3]
TLDR: Please play this game if you even remotely like sci-fi or choices matters type games. The story alone is worth all its weight in gold. It is genuinely one of the best stories I've had the pleasure of experiencing in a game. I usually don't leave reviews for games, but this one deserves it. It's genuinely one of the most unique stories/concepts I've seen in a game, and it keeps you hooked the entire time. You …
- [1]
A builder Jan is a sole survivor of a spaceshipwreck. To keep the base going, he needs more hands and thus employs a technology that allows him to clone a version of himself that has made different life choices, like standing up to his abusive father or not going abroad to study. What results are Alters — versions of Jan that are partially him and partially their own people. The following is a game with two main …
- [9]
The concept is definitely the biggest selling point of this game, and I think 11 bit executed it well enough that "clone" can serve as the core gameplay mechanic. One of the biggest highlights for me is how each alter is kind of spun off the main life path, resulting in different personalities and needs. There are a lot of tested sci-fi game mechanics integrated into this game, such as exploring, base building, …
Summarised from 34 of the 441 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
77% of the 295 Steam reviewers we collected recommend The Alters. The complaint that keeps coming up: repetitive and tedious resource gathering. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The Alters received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. OpenCritic determined that 95% of critics recommended the game. Eurogamer noted in their review that The Alters requires "perseverance", but sticking with it pays off. They praised the game's merging of ideas as original. IGN praised the simple resource and management mechanics. As of July 8, 2025, 11 Bit Studios reported that The Alters had sold over 280,000 copies across all platforms since its launch on June 13, 2025.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 514 · most liked firstBro the Alters getting caught with the AI and ChatGPT shit is such a massive fucking bummer because that game has a really special spark to it and now it is absolutely tainted. Pulling it off my schedule for next week.
negative · AI labelView post →Every time Steam AI disclosures come up, I think of The Alters. A game where the studio was found to have used generative AI in a player facing way, then admitted it was intentional. There is still no disclosure on the Steam page. No consequences. They exist just to protect Valve from liability.
neutral · AI labelView post →I liked this one innitialy, but ultimatly its just simplistic and tedious. Like other games from these devs, it focuses heavily on presentation and narrative gimmick at the expense of gameplay. And the presentation is great, but the gameplay is so shallow that its just really boring. Go do chores in monumentally generic and empty outside areas that amount to like 2 small corridors to gather generic resources. "Explore" those 2 corridors in 5 minutes, then go fetch 3-5 resources to keep up…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like **The Alters**, and after putting just over **29 hours** into it, I gave it every opportunity to win me over. The survival mechanics are engaging, the base management is interesting, and the game does a great job creating a constant sense of urgency. There are real challenges to overcome, and at first that kept me invested. Unfortunately, the game's biggest feature—managing your alternate selves—became its biggest weakness. The endless whining, bickering, and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Brazilian Portuguese localization for "The Alters" used ChatGPT and forgot to edit it, the subtitle in the game says "Of course! The text translated to brazilian portuguese is:..."
neutral · AI labelView post →Oh good The Alters is out today so I can finally get this off my chest: The Alters is one of my favourite games of this year. Don't let it slip you by. Full FR review next Wednesday. Put down the bloody Mario Kart for a second. store.steampowered.com/app/1601570/...
positive · AI labelView post →My new goal is to convince as many people as possible to play The Alters. If you like video games and sci-fi, this gem is a must. Several gameplays, base management, tension as the sun rises to burn you, relationships with clones from alternate dimensions, sci-fi mysteries... It's on Game Pass too!
positive · AI labelView post →A builder Jan is a sole survivor of a spaceshipwreck. To keep the base going, he needs more hands and thus employs a technology that allows him to clone a version of himself that has made different life choices, like standing up to his abusive father or not going abroad to study. What results are Alters — versions of Jan that are partially him and partially their own people. The following is a game with two main genres: base-building (and resource management) and exploration, with a bunch of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was positively surprised by how fun this game is! Three things I think are important when deciding on playing it: - It is more focused on the narrative than on the gameplay. There's a lot of dialogue. The split between base-building and talking isn't huge though, something like 40/60. - This isn't an "infinite" survival base-building game. You essentially have "levels" where you build stuff as best as you can, and then when the story moves on you move on to a different "level" as well,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The thing is, The Alters is absolutely amazing. This is a SUPER ambitious game. However, about half way through, I started to get really sick of the way the story and choices are designed, and it totally ruins what could have been an outright masterpiece. The Alters OOZES with atmosphere and intrigue right from the start. This is a survival/management/building game with an immersive choice driven story. It's well written, it's well voice acted, and the game is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. At an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Our game is live! I’ve never poured so much of myself into anything before and it will forever have a place in my heart. THE ALTERS is ready for you to play right now!!! #TheAlters
neutral · AI labelView post →See a video game using AI? Do not buy and blacklist. This includes and ESPECIALLY applies to indies. No excuses. Sorry, Arc Raiders, Expedition 33, where winds meet, and The Alters.
neutral · AI labelView post →🎮: The Alters ✅️ 📝 Game #40 of 2025 📝 Did not expect to finish a 30 hour game right before DS2 and most certainly didnt expect it to be one of the best games I've played all year 😳 ✅️ Story ✅️ Gameplay ✅️ Visuals ✅️ Characters ✅️ Creativity ✅️ impactful Choices Game is FIRE 🔥
positive · AI labelView post →And given that both The Alters and Expedition 33 forgot to remove some of their “AI placeholders” before sending out the launch versions of their game, they ended up with some embarrassing whoopsie fuckles to deal with. At least with the bright pink placeholder textures you wouldn’t miss them
neutral · AI labelView post →You know a game is good when you sit down to play and suddenly 10 hours have gone by in the blink of an eye 💀 The Alters is that game for me right now 👀
positive · AI labelView post →It’s here. Release day for The Alters. 400+ hours in the booth helping bring all the Jan Dolskis to life with my voice. Today, we hand this special game over to you. Enjoy! #TheAlters
neutral · AI labelView post →The Alters is one of the most uniquely interesting video games I have ever worked on in my 12 years. It is exactly the kind of game making we should be vocally championing. The industry thrives when games like this do new things to surprise us. #TheAlters 📸 - @yuric83.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →The Alters is a 2025 must-play. The best thing I can say about it is that it's the rare sci-fi video game that is more Star Trek than Star Wars. A great exploration of alternate lives, in the wrapper of a fun survival game on a hostile planet My review: www.gamefile.news/p/the-alters...
positive · AI labelView post →Tempted to take a longer look at The Alters today instead of backlog man that game is *cool*
positive · AI labelView post →To be honest, I had a massive problem with reviewing The Alters. The game itself is quite original and interesting; it touches on intriguing issues and almost philosophical questions about consciousness and existence, but I still feel as if it was never given the chance to fully spread its wings. Personally, I get the impression that the subject matter itself was a bit too much for the developers, and despite their best efforts, they failed to fully exploit its potential. Nonetheless, I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Alters Good ass game
positive · AI labelView post →I struggled to get a grasp why I didn't want to return to this game. The gameplay, story and how you manage your base all seemed polished, and I really wanted to like the game. But then I figured it out. I do this kind of stuff in my job. Somehow the pressure of having a time limit (although a very forgiving one) rubbed me the wrong way. I don't want to have this type of deadline hanging over me, even though the game gives lots of possibilities to stock on resources, and progress the story…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Easily the best written game I have ever played. Hands down. I love Silksong, Clair Obscur, and Hades II, but this is 100% my game of the year. If you like amazing sci-fi stories with interesting characters and loads of difficult choices, there is no better game/movie/anything than The Alters. The gameplay isn't perfect, sometimes running around and collecting certain resources can be tedious and the combat is not very fun. But overall, exciting and challenging base management is merged…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you're looking for something a bit different, don't sleep on The Alters. A challenging and uniquely weird sci-fi game. In short: Fallout Shelter in 3D with a cool story, choices that matter, and a dash of Death Stranding. I highly recommend!
positive · AI labelView post →The Alters | Reviews 5/5 - TheGamer 10 - Game Rant 9.5 - PSX Brasil 9 - CGM 9 - ZTGD 9 - PCGamer 9 - Shacknews 9 - TheSixthAxis 8.5 - TechRaptor 8.5 - GamePressure 8 - IGN 8 - WellPlayed 8 - GamingBolt 8 - Push Square 4.5/5 - GamesRadar 4.5/5 - GameReactor UK MC: 86 OC: 85
neutral · AI labelView post →Fun fact, early last week I enthusiastically asked for a code so we could stream & talk about The Alters on our podcast. We will not be covering that game now.
negative · AI labelView post →I think one important takeaway from The Alters' use of genAI temp assets is a persistent toxic need to have "polished [wip] assets" that occurs in the game industry. More importantly, without quality control they're setting up the project and the studio for future liabilities.
neutral · AI labelView post →This is, by far, one of the most interesting games I think I've ever played. I've been playing video games for almost 30 years, and I've never come across any quite like this. What first turned me on to this studio. 11 Bit, was "This War Of Mine" and "Frostpunk", so I thought I'd give this one a go considering how much I liked their other games. I was NOT disappointed. It's not a very long game, but it'll stick with me for a very long time. I also plan on going back and doing multiple…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the creativity and the survival elements of this game. However, starting from the second stage of the game, after the team size has grown, managing a team that complains and whines everyday surpassed the joy of exploration and completion of the objectives. It should be a journey of survival and redemption, not babysitting a bunch of grown-ups. After spending 21 hours in this game, I found it become less and less joyful and even more tiring and stressing than my daily job.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has mandatory data collection and sharing including with "potential business partners". There is no warning of the 3rd party EULA on the store page.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly this one just completely missed for me. There are hints of a good game in here but so much of it feels half-baked. The resource grind is *awful* and trying to efficiently grind resources is about 80% of the gameplay. Base building feels unfinished, with the weight limit on your base being the main thing that dictates what you can build rather than the more interesting puzzle presented by the base's weird space constraints, and there are very few actually interesting rooms to add to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Switching Backlog today for more The Alters! That game is so cool. See you guys at twitch.tv/patstaresat at 4pm pacific!
positive · AI labelView post →The Alters ✅ +Great survival mechanics. +Social sim element is entertaining. +Choices have real impact. +Fun gameplay. +Clever storyline. -Technical issues. Took me a while to get used to it but I really enjoyed this game. Highly recommend.
positive · AI labelView post →I have seen several people say they will never buy anything from 11 Bit Studios again after they accidentally left a placeholder asset generated by ChatGPT in The Alters. It’s an otherwise fantastic game and the general consensus I’ve seen is it’s been absolutely TAINTED by that single asset.
neutral · AI labelView post →It's been a very tough year for game studios and game workers, but a bloody great year for games. I've tried some of The Alters and this is -very- my jam. Intriguing story and those careful time pressure/management mechanics are good!
positive · AI labelView post →The Alters | Reviews 10 / 10 Game Rant 5 / 5 TheGamer 10 / 10 Stevivor 4.5 / 5 GamesRadar+ 8 / 10 IGN 8 / 10 Push Square 8 / 10 GamingBolt 8 / 10 WellPlayed 8 / 10 XboxEra 7 / 10 Gamer Escape Opencritic: 85 Available Day One with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. opencritic.com/game/18397/t...
neutral · AI labelView post →This is a tough game to recommend because you kinda have to like the main character to enjoy the story. I personally found the main character (and by extension all his "alters") absolutely insufferable and couldn't get too far into this game as a consequence.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you’ve not seen it already, there’s evidence The Alters used Gen ai for writing, translation and in game portraits at least. bsky.app/profile/vyse...
neutral · AI labelView post →This game looked like it had great promise and would be very enjoyable. I am limited by game choice as I am disabled so when a game says they have story mode and accessibility options I was stoked. Then they give a big middle finger by locking the game behind a mobility based mini game. Of course they conveniently don't introduce it until well AFTER you've played the 2 hours so no refunds. So my review is based on what little I could play and their lying about accessibility.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →'The Alters' Review: PC Gamer 90 Game Rant 10/10 IGN 8/10 TheGamer 5/5 TechRaptor 8.5/10 Checkpoint Gaming 8/10 AltChar 85 Xbox Era 8/10 Console Creatures 8/10 OC 85: opencritic.com/game/18397/t... MC PC 86: www.metacritic.com/game/the-alt...
neutral · AI labelView post →FWIW, in-game logs (where the Alters used prompts) are where junior writers cut their teeth. Using AI for those tasks cuts out the rung from the junior writers, denying them experience and portfolio pieces for future gigs.
neutral · AI labelView post →It is funny to me that "Hell is Us" is an upcoming game and *not* an alternate/original title for The Alters referencing No Exit
neutral · AI labelView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☑ Beautiful ☐ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☑ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☑ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Having finished playing The Alters DLC, The Last Variable (highly recommend, took me 28 hours to finish), I return to Star Trek Across The Unknown. Within the first 5 minutes of returning, I am hit with this. Not even in a choices-matter game can Kim get promoted. I'm wheezing.
positive · AI labelView post →Anyone really into The Alters right now? I never thought I’d be this deep into a resource management game. I feel like I’ve been playing incredible game after incredible game this year, with no end in sight.
positive · AI labelView post →The Alters is coming June 13. Day One with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF48...
neutral · AI labelView post →I can't wait. 🔥 The Alters, the next sci-fi game from @11bitstudios.bsky.social (This War of Mine, Frostpunk 1 & 2), and the game I'm most looking forward to, is coming on June 13 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S! It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
neutral · AI labelView post →The Alters, the new game from the studio behind Frostpunk 2, is a masterclass in tense storytelling.
neutral · AI labelView post →As someone who never finds simulator OR survival games all that interesting, I decided to give it a go when I saw Alex Jordan was involved. This game goes beyond the simplicity of what a survival game offers. Not only was I constantly faced with my own incompetence in managing all these men, I also liked the fact that Jan Dolski himself felt so incredibly real. Realistic. All version of him. Learning life lessons from your alternate self throughout the acts, and having the crescendo of self…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Me as a sw/hw eng: ugh I shouldn’t play factory games, they’re just my job in game form Me moving to eng mgmt and then booting up The Alters: ok maybe it’s time for factory games instead
positive · AI labelView post →Can't play the single player game without accepting a eula that allows for personal data being collected by the software. And the language used is not particularly reassuring. For a game like this, it could easily be only in-game data to compare what you do to other players and be a feature that you choose to turn on or off like in persona or a telltale game. But it is non specific and mentions personal data.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A total dumb hard drop. This torture is about cloning yourself just to get your mind ♥♥♥♥♥♥. Every clone is an emotional cripple who gets offended if you don't praise them for breathing, and throws a tantrum because someone else breathes louder. You're running around between them like an idiot... plus managing everything else because they aren't "in the right mindset" to work. The planet is a beautiful hell, gameplay is straight up mental asylum + schizophrenia (total routine), atmosphere…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm assuming, given you can apparently read, that you're human, and therefore you have, at some point, done something to let yourself or someone else down. If you feel regretful about that - or in other words, if you have a soul - you should check out this game. A word of warning: if you are like me, someone who spends a lot of time ruminating on how things could have been, and what life would be like if different paths were taken, you might find yourself quite emotionally drained by the end.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kinda disappointing to find out The Alters game used genAI in their game. 😞 And I hate how a lot of games now, like to blame outsourcing as a cause of these “mistakes”. When technically it’s their jobs to double check these assets before the final shipping of their game.
negative · AI labelView post →I will be RETURNING this game due to its HORRIBLE Data Privacy Clause! Instead of giving you an EASY way to opt-OUT, they want you to MAIL in a WITHDRAWL of CONSENT - NOT ACCEPTABLE! They also SHARE your PERSONAL DATA with THIRD PARTIES - I'll PASS! PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY PEOPLE!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve been obsessed with The Alters for the past week. Dark Matter meets Moon with some addictive gameplay loops. Surprised everyone is not talking about this game.
positive · AI labelView post →Here's my review of Alan Wake 2 for anyone interested! I will now be moving on to The Alters before potentially moving on to my very first Final Fantasy game! Exciting!!
neutral · AI labelView post →"This War of Mine" meets "The Invincible". I was already used to ant-farm style time-management gameplays but NOTHING like this one! The setup and story are brilliantly written. Not only you have to survive on a hostile unknown planet and unravel its mysteries, you also have to struggle with all the different versions of you as much as you need them. They have their skills, but also their flaws and needs. And you're all on the same boat. The base design is pretty original and lets you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best games of 2025. A must-have experience for Science Fiction/Space Opera fans. Alex Jordan did a titanic work by giving life to all the distinct versions of the main character Jan Dolski. Definitely will replay the game 2nd time later. IMO, The Alters reached the highs of Frostpunk and War of Mine. Games that raised a lot of tough questions and decisions that most people may face in their real lives.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm surprised we had not 1, but 2 awesome games that weren't sequels or remakes. I'm talking about Expedition 33 and this gem. The story is simple, but great. Games don't need stories that make the main character bigger than life and most of the time they fail, simple is better. The quests and side quests were a joy to play and trying to figure out the outcome before it happened. The world had an interesting design, but not much to talk about a barren world. The gameplay/mechanics were fun.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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